Nasim Sarabandi
Nasim Sarabandi is Human Rights activist. She holds a Master’s degree in human rights and democratization from the European Inter-University Center for Human Rights and Democratization. She also recently graduated with her second Master’s in Sociology at The State University at Albany. Ms. Sarabandi is the former director of the women’s commission of Daftar-e Tahkime Vahdat, a major Iranian student organization for democracy and human rights, and a member of the “One Million Signatures Campaign”, Iran's contemporary grass-roots women's rights movement. Ms. Sarabandi left Iran in June 2010 as a result of pressures put on her by Iranian government authorities.
Lecture Title: Iranian Youth: An Altered Generation
Nasim Sarabandi is Human Rights activist. She holds a Master’s degree in human rights and democratization from the European Inter-University Center for Human Rights and Democratization. She also recently graduated with her second Master’s in Sociology at The State University at Albany. Ms. Sarabandi is the former director of the women’s commission of Daftar-e Tahkime Vahdat, a major Iranian student organization for democracy and human rights, and a member of the “One Million Signatures Campaign”, Iran's contemporary grass-roots women's rights movement. Ms. Sarabandi left Iran in June 2010 as a result of pressures put on her by Iranian government authorities.
Lecture Title: Iranian Youth: An Altered Generation
Ragan Updegraff
Ragan Updegraff is Special Assistant for Policy and Strategy in the Office of the President at the National Endowment for Democracy. He is also an active observer and writer on Turkish politics, including as a volunteer country specialist in Amnesty International USA's Turkey country coordination group. A former Fulbright Fellow based in Istanbul (2009-2010), his research focused on how Turkish legal reforms largely undertaken with a view toward accession to the European Union were transforming Turkey's conflict with its Kurdish nationalist population. His work has appeared in the Journal of Democracy and the Jerusalem Post, among various other publications.
Lecture Title: The Quest for Kurdish Self-Determination: Turkey's Ceasefire with the PKK and Its Impact Across Four Nation-States
Ragan Updegraff is Special Assistant for Policy and Strategy in the Office of the President at the National Endowment for Democracy. He is also an active observer and writer on Turkish politics, including as a volunteer country specialist in Amnesty International USA's Turkey country coordination group. A former Fulbright Fellow based in Istanbul (2009-2010), his research focused on how Turkish legal reforms largely undertaken with a view toward accession to the European Union were transforming Turkey's conflict with its Kurdish nationalist population. His work has appeared in the Journal of Democracy and the Jerusalem Post, among various other publications.
Lecture Title: The Quest for Kurdish Self-Determination: Turkey's Ceasefire with the PKK and Its Impact Across Four Nation-States
Aydoğan Vatandaş
Aydoğan Vatandaş is an investigative journalist and author of 13 books including ‘Reporting from the Bridge’ published by Blue Dome Press in 2012. He specializes in Turkish politics, Middle East, media and leadership studies. He holds a Master's Degree in Media Studies at the New School in New York. He is the media representative of Turkish Cihan News Agency in New York, reporter and op-ed contributor with Today’s Zaman.
Lecture Title: Turkish Identity: Crisis on the way of Democratization
Aydoğan Vatandaş is an investigative journalist and author of 13 books including ‘Reporting from the Bridge’ published by Blue Dome Press in 2012. He specializes in Turkish politics, Middle East, media and leadership studies. He holds a Master's Degree in Media Studies at the New School in New York. He is the media representative of Turkish Cihan News Agency in New York, reporter and op-ed contributor with Today’s Zaman.
Lecture Title: Turkish Identity: Crisis on the way of Democratization
Rabbi Ben Romer
Rabbi Ben Romer became the Spiritual Leader of Congregation Or Ami in August 2006. A third generation Reform Jew he is deeply committed to the continued development of a vibrant and creative form of Reform Judaism. The only rabbi to deploy for Operation Just Cause in Panama and the first rabbi into Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, he spent 12 years as an active duty chaplain also serving in Bosnia and Kosovo. His total service as a military chaplain spanned 22 years.Rabbi Rabbi Romer is featured as one of five Richmond-area religious leaders in Richmond Magazine's February 2014 edition ("Sources of Inspiration: These speakers move hearts and minds").
Lecture Title: If You Feed Them, They Will Come
Rabbi Ben Romer became the Spiritual Leader of Congregation Or Ami in August 2006. A third generation Reform Jew he is deeply committed to the continued development of a vibrant and creative form of Reform Judaism. The only rabbi to deploy for Operation Just Cause in Panama and the first rabbi into Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, he spent 12 years as an active duty chaplain also serving in Bosnia and Kosovo. His total service as a military chaplain spanned 22 years.Rabbi Rabbi Romer is featured as one of five Richmond-area religious leaders in Richmond Magazine's February 2014 edition ("Sources of Inspiration: These speakers move hearts and minds").
Lecture Title: If You Feed Them, They Will Come
Aram Arkun
Aram Arkun is a specialist in modern Armenian history, including the Armenian Genocide. He was the Coordinator of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in New York City, and editor of the quarterly English-language Armenian periodical Ararat published by the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Currently he works in Henrico as an independent editor and translator, as well as associate editor for the Armenian Mirror-Spectator of Boston. He has published articles and annotated translations on Ottoman and Iranian Armenian topics, as well as contemporary Armenian events, in scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and books. He is a Princeton University graduate (B.A.), with a master's degree in international relations (University of Pennsylvania), and a C.Phil. from UCLA. He has taught at New York University, UCLA, and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Lecture Title: Armenians in the Middle East: An Overview
Aram Arkun is a specialist in modern Armenian history, including the Armenian Genocide. He was the Coordinator of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in New York City, and editor of the quarterly English-language Armenian periodical Ararat published by the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Currently he works in Henrico as an independent editor and translator, as well as associate editor for the Armenian Mirror-Spectator of Boston. He has published articles and annotated translations on Ottoman and Iranian Armenian topics, as well as contemporary Armenian events, in scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and books. He is a Princeton University graduate (B.A.), with a master's degree in international relations (University of Pennsylvania), and a C.Phil. from UCLA. He has taught at New York University, UCLA, and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Lecture Title: Armenians in the Middle East: An Overview
Jonathan Glasser
Jonathon Glasser is an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary, and is also affiliated with the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program and with the Department of History, where he is a research associate. His current research focuses on poetic and musical performance in the modern Maghrib, and he is currently completing a book manuscript titled The Lost Paradise: Andalusi Music in Urban North Africa.
Lecture Title: Berbers and Others in North Africa
Jonathon Glasser is an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary, and is also affiliated with the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program and with the Department of History, where he is a research associate. His current research focuses on poetic and musical performance in the modern Maghrib, and he is currently completing a book manuscript titled The Lost Paradise: Andalusi Music in Urban North Africa.
Lecture Title: Berbers and Others in North Africa